“It’s like ‘The Hunger Games,'” she says. “You are waiting for your name to be called so you know that you’re safe.”

Granted, she knows not all viewers are impressed by her style. But plenty of folks get it. The proof came when America picked Faith Hill’s 1995 heartbreaker, “It Matters to Me,” for her to sing, and she delivered a soaring, R&B-flavored country ballad.

“With America giving me this song, they know I don’t want to do just country,” says Renee, a former backup singer for Nicki Minaj who grew up singing in her church choir. “I don’t think I could ever be a traditional country artist because my roots are so diverse.”

“I’ve developed an amazing relationship with my coach,” Renee says. “He sees the vision, he loves the vision. Win or lose, I truly believe Blake (or someone else in the industry) will extend the olive branch and say, ‘Come on, little sister; let’s take the world by storm.'”

Renee knows the same will be true of her friend, Janice Freeman, the Compton-based singer from Miley Cyrus’ team who was eliminated this week.

“I know Janice has an amazing future ahead of her,” she says. “She’s a fighter. She has lupus and was dealing with a lot of medical issues while she was here even when we did 16-hour days and it hurt. For her to handle this process with such grace and strength, I am overly proud of her. I’m grateful she was extended this opportunity because now the world knows who she is.”

Los Angeles Daily News reporter Sandra Barrera has been writing about entertainment and lifestyle topics since 1998. Before joining the Daily News in 2000, she was a reporter for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario where she helped launch the now-defunct entertainment magazine 72HOURS as its music writer. Her reporting career at the Daily News has included fashion coverage from the red carpet at Hollywood's biggest awards shows, home and garden trends with a particular focus on earth-friendly alternatives and a wide range of events, from theater to the latest happenings at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

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